Page 11 of Cold As Ice

“Fair turnabout and all that.”

His gruff laughter rumbled through me, heating my blood again.

I liked him.

I liked the way he didn’t treat me like glass but didn’t treat me like dirt, either. It was transactional, sure. But there was no reason it couldn’t be a mutually satisfying transaction.

A night I wouldn’t forget in a hurry.

My heart galloped in my chest as I tucked my fingers into the waistband of his jeans and inched them down. Austin buried one of his hands in the back of my hair, winding it around his fist, but he didn’t wrest control. Instead, he waited, letting me take my time and find my stride. It had been a while, and it probably showed as I hesitantly leaned in, flicking my tongue over his crown, teasing and tasting.

“Fuck,” he hissed, his fingers tightening in my hair.

I smiled, remembering how good it felt to have a big, strong guy at your mercy.

Wrapping my hand around his shaft, I took him into my mouth, dragging my tongue along the underside. He tasted salty and a little bitter, but I liked it.

I wanted more.

I wanted everything he was willing to give me.

Except sex.

I couldn’t go there.

Because something told me if I did, I’d want so much more than one night.

And that simply wasn’t an option.

* * *

“Shit, what time is it?”

“W-what?” I cracked open an eye, trying to get my bearings. “Uh, hi.”

Heat crept into my cheeks at the sight of the Lakers U goalie lying beside me, looking every bit as gorgeous as he had last night.

“So… last night was…”

“Pretty wild.” A faint smirk traced his mouth. “We must have fallen asleep.”

Somewhere after the third or fourth orgasm, I suspected.

Jesus. The things I’d let him do to my body.

He’d kissed, touched, and tasted every inch of me, and not once had he tried to sleep with me. Although, I guess technically, we had slept together.

“Yeah. Sorry about that.” I untangled myself from his arm and sat up, clasping the sheet around my body.

“I…”

“Hey, this doesn’t need to be awkward,” he said, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. “I had fun, and I’m pretty sure you did, too. It doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that.”

“Right. Good. That’s… good.” Silence filled the space between us, but weirdly, it didn’t feel awkward.

It was heavy, though. Thick with expectation and something I didn’t want to acknowledge.

“Do you want coffee or—”

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